The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge – Nulhegan Basin Division announced this week that the North Branch Trail has been completed and is now available for public use. The four mile loop trail is accessed from a parking area along Route 105 in Ferdinand, Vermont, approximately one-half mile west of the railroad crossing. It’s expected that the trail will enhance opportunities for bird watching, environmental education outings by school children, and especially fishing – with improved access to the North Branch of the Nulhegan River – a high quality cold-water stream. In addition, the parking area will be plowed during winter to allow access for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing – opportunities that are currently lacking on the refuge due to the limited number of access points available to pedestrians during winter.
The rustic trail was constructed during the past two summers, by the Nulhegan Basin Division’s Youth Conservation Corps crew, with special assistance from Conservation Corps staff at NorthWoods Stewardship Center.
The new trail and all the Division’s lands are open to the public year-round. Maps and other orientation materials are available at entry kiosks and at the visitor contact station in Brunswick.
